Outlook: The Hoosiers are one of the favorites to make a run to the title, and with their balance on both ends, there's little reason to doubt Coach Tom Crean's squad.

2. Miami

HURRICANES

ACC champions or at-large (27-6 or 26-7)

Takes last shot: Kenny Kadji shoots almost 50 percent from the field, and he's just as likely to spot up from 15 feet as he is to drive, so he's unpredictable to defend.

Best, worst: Beat Duke, 90-63. Lost to Florida Gulf Coast, 63-51

Outlook: The Hurricanes have had a couple clunkers lately and they don't have tournament experience, but they have played arguably the best defense in the ACC.

3. Marquette

GOLDEN EAGLES

Big East at-large (23-8)

Takes last shot: With a newly improved and more consistent offensive game in tow, Vander Blue has been one of the Big East's best scorers.

Best, worst: Beat Georgetown, 49-48. Lost to Green Bay, 49-47.

Outlook: Marquette could be one of the Big East's most under-the-radar teams and a run into the better part of the tournament's second weekend isn't out of the question.

4. Syracuse

ORANGE

Big East at-large (26-9)

Takes last shot: Senior shooter Brandon Triche is no stranger to big shots, and with everything on the line, his experience could be a deciding factor.

Best, worst: Beat Louisville, 70-68. Lost to Temple, 83-79.

Outlook: After losing four of five to end the regular season, Syracuse could still be a Final Four candidate if it doesn't slip up along the way, which, as the Orange have proven recently, is a distinct possibility.

5. UNLV

REBELS

Mountain West at-large (25-9)

Takes last shot: Anthony Bennett, a freshman, is listed at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, but he's nimble enough to get to the basket from any spot on the court.

Best, worst: Beat New Mexico, 64-55. Lost to Fresno State, 61-52

Outlook: There's not a lot of top-level talent here, but the Rebels are long and athletic under the basket and can create problems with their aggressive defense and rebounding.

6. Butler

BULLDOGS

Atlantic 10 at-large (26-8)

Takes last shot: Roosevelt Jones' steal and layup in the final four seconds beat Gonzaga and was one of the biggest clutch plays of the entire season.

Best, worst: Beat Indiana, 88-86. Lost to Charlotte, 71-67

Outlook: This isn't a very dynamic team, but the Bulldogs have some real nice victories (Indiana, Gonzaga, North Carolina) and no hideous losses, so watch out.

7. Illinois

FIGHTING ILLINI

Big Ten at-large (22-12)

Takes last shot: Brandon Paul called his own number for a winning shot against Minnesota in the conference tournament. He'll likely do the same if another one is needed.

Best, worst: Beat Indiana, 74-72. Lost to Northwestern, 68-54.

Outlook: Illinois has turned it on in the past month in a very tough conference and played itself in, but doesn't really have the makeup of a contender.

8. North Carolina State

WOLFPACK

ACC at-large (24-10)

Takes last shot: The balanced Wolfpack has five players who average between 11-15 points per game, but freshman T.J. Warren is shooting an excellent 55.4 percent.

Best, worst: Beat Duke, 84-76. Lost to Wake Forest, 86-84

Outlook: The Wolfpack raised eyebrows with a midseason slump, but have a balanced lineup, with five players averaging between 12 to 15 points per game.

9. Temple

OWLS

Atlantic 10 at-large (23-9)

Takes last shot: The Owls' guards aren't very reliable from the perimeter, so their best bet is probably to work the ball in to 6-foot-9 sophomore Anthony Lee.

Best, worst: Beat Syracuse, 83-79. Lost to Canisius, 72-62

Outlook: The Owls finished relatively strong but played far too many tight games against mediocre opponents this season to inspire confidence.

10. Colorado

BUFFALOES

Pac-12 at-large (21-11)

Takes last shot: Spencer Dinwiddie has been one of the Pac-12's most dynamic scorers this season and he's the clear leader of an otherwise underwhelming offense.

Best, worst: Beat Oregon, 76-53. Lost to Oregon State, 64-58.

Outlook: As Colorado's offense continues to flounder, so do the Buffaloes' chances, but a good defense might be able to stifle a higher-seeded opponent.

11. Bucknell

BISON

Patriot League champion (28-5)

Takes last shot: Senior center Mike Muscala, who leads Bucknell with his 19 points per game average, won't be easily stopped, as he also hits more than 50 percent of his field-goal attempts.

Best, worst: Beat Purdue, 70-65. Lost to Lafayette, 63-62.

Outlook: Expect the Bison, who have lost just twice since Jan. 5, to be a tough out. Not to mention, last season, the Patriot League champion – Lehigh – upset second-seeded Duke in the first round.

12. Cal

GOLDEN BEARS

At-large (20-11)

Takes last shot: Allen Crabbe scored in double figures in all but three games and had multiple 3-pointers in 17 games.

Best, worst: Beat Arizona, 77-69. Lost to Harvard, 67-62.

Outlook: Cal started the season off badly but dominated through last month of the Pac-12 schedule because of some quality play from its best players. However, a more talented offensive team would likely dispatch the Bears.

13. Montana

GRIZZLIES

Big Sky champion (25-6)

Takes last shot: Kareem Jamar, a Los Angeles native, is a 6-foot-5 slasher who shoots 48 percent and has had a particularly hot hand late in the season.

Outlook: The Dukes are off to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 19 years, after topping regular-season champion Northeastern in the CAA championship game.

16. LIU-Brooklyn

BLACKBIRDS

Northeast Conference champion (20-13)

Takes last shot: As evidenced by 31 points in the Northeast Conference Tournament title game, senior guard C.J. Garner stands as LIU-Brooklyn's top-scoring threat and also manages to shoot 46 percent from 3-point range.

Best, worst: Beat Bryant, 79-79. Lost to St. Peter's, 80-67.

Outlook: NCAA Tournament-bound for the third consecutive season, the high-scoring Blackbirds average 79.5 points per game, fifth highest in the country.

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